Botswana

Botswana is one of Africa’s last pristine lands and offers its visitors beautiful scenery and prolific big game in equal measure - from the watery paradise of the Okavango Delta, to the shimmering white saltpans of the Makgadikgadi; the majestic baobab trees of the Kalahari or the elephants drinking at dusk from the Chobe river.

Malawi

Mauritius

The tropical gardens and infinity pools of chic luxury resorts in Mauritius give way to dazzling sands lapped by azure waters. Holidays to Mauritius offers five star hospitality, a melting pot of cultures and idyllic tropical scenery.

Gondar & Lake Tana

Known as ‘the Camelot of Africa’, Gondar has an impressive and slightly surreal collection of stone castles and palaces.

Gondar

Now the second largest city in Ethiopia, Gondar is best known to visitors for its striking 17th century palaces. These are a serene reminder of Gondar’s heyday as the Imperial Capital of Ethiopia.

Known as ‘the Camelot of Africa’, Gondar has an impressive, and slightly surreal, collection of stone castles and palaces. Built by Emperor Fasil, they are now World Heritage Sites. Indeed with their Portuguese and Indian influences, they would not look out of place in southern Europe. Certainly they are very unexpected in the heart of Africa.

Nearby the serenely beautiful Fasil’s Pool is heaven for photographers at any time of year. The surrounding area is also one of the best areas for birding in an urban area. The vast sunken moat is only filled once a year at the hugely popular Timkat ceremony on Ascension Day. (It takes a week to fill!) This multi-day religious celebration is in mid-January when thousands of white-robed pilgrims descend on Gondar. They come to parade their own churches’ replica of the Arc of the Covenant. Then the celebration ends with all young men jumping into the moat.

Highlights of Gondar

Fasil Ghebbi (Imperial Palace) with its six castles and palaces

Dibran Birhan Selassie church with its elaborate 18th painted walls. Row upon row of angels gaze down from the ceiling.

The beautiful Fasil’s Pool

Kuskuam royal palace

From Gondar it is only an easy 2 to 2½ hour road transfer to the attractive lakeside town of Bahir Dar on Lake Tana.

Lake Tana & Bahir Dar

Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake and the source of the Blue Nile. It offers excellent birding, island monasteries and scenic attractions such as the Blue Nile Falls. So it’s a wonderful relaxing stop on any visit to northern Ethiopia. The lake’s backdrop is the craggy mountains of the Abyssinian Highlands.

The Blue Nile Falls are best visited during, or just after, the rainy season. Then they are at their most impressive and reliable. But the charming circular walk to the Falls is enjoyable at any

time of year.

The island monasteries mainly date from the 13th and 14th centuries and offer treasuries filled with ancient artefacts. Some are only accessible to men! But the 18th century Narga Selassie on the island if Dek is open to all. It is reminiscent of the palaces of Gondar.

United Kingdom

South Africa

This site uses cookies to make it work better, to show page content & currencies for users around the world. The flag at top right shows the location we think you are in, or closest to. You can change it or your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, click OK to continue.OkPrivacy Policy